Material separator



Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,811

- 5. S. HOWELL MATERIAL SEPARATOR Filed June 1. 1926 2 Shets-Sheet l 7/7 10 4 9 Q2 .1 L ,5 J

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Jan. 3, 1928.

1,654,811 S. S. HOWELL MATERIAL SEPARATQR Filed June 1. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet kWh/E's i555 Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

a I a 1,654,811'

UNITED S T S" PATENT OFFICE.

sYLv'nsriin s. HOWEEEL, or eHrcAoo, I L -N'oI-s.

' 7 MATERIAL Saran-Aron.

Applicationflled :un'en 1926. Serial No. 112,509., r

materials of the mixture are readily separated and drawn off, while the heavier materials are permitted to travel downwardly through the unit into a suitable receptacle for removal.

It is an important to provide a material separating'machine wherein a draft unit is provided.with means for causing" a shaft of liquid to rise therein againsta deposited mixture of materials'to cause the lighter .materials to be readily separated and" delivered from the unit while the heavier materials are permitted totravel downwardly through the shaft ofwaterinto areceiving compartment fromflwhi'chtheheavier material may later on be withdrawn. Other and further important objects of this'invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accom-t v V .dr-ical intermediate section 14, an outwardly .fiaring lower conical section 1'5,'and an upconical mouth piece or pan-ying drawings.

This invention (in a preferred form), is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described. i i On the drawings: l Figure 1- is a topplan view of aseparator embodying the principles of; this invention showing a portion of the feed chute broken away. a Figure 2-is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally of the machine on line 11-11 of- Figure 1. 1 v Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line IIIIII of Figure 1.

Figure 1 is an enlarged vertical deta l section ofthe draft unit taken on line IV-IV of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detailed horizontal section taken'on line V 'V of Figure 1.

As shown on the drawings: The reference numeral lindicates a floor or foundation hav ng, a pit or recess'formed therein to recelve a housmg or casmg 2 conwherein a mixture of in the upperend of a object of this invention Wardly unit. jects slightly positioned 21 contained within the housing 2. Mountcross-sectione structed ofconcrete or other suitable mate- 4 approximately half of the height of the housing 2. The housing rial, and having a transverse partition or' wall 3 forn 1ed on the interior thereof and extend ng upwardly to 2 projects above the level of the floor 1 and isi open at its upper end. Supported'upon theupper edge of the partition 3 is anincliiied bar screen or grate {1, which projects upwardly to within a short distance of the upperfedg'e of the housing 2. The partition 3 divides,

theinterior of the'housingj 2 into a coke or light weight material receiving chamber 5, Y

and into a clinker and ash or heavy weight material receiving vchamber 6. H i V Formed on the uppersedgeof two Walls of the housing'2 are upwardly projecting arms'or brackets 7, on which anI-beam 8 is supported diagonally above the housing Mounted upon the I-be'am i8, and upon one wall of the housing 2, are a plurality of brace bars 9, which afford a framework for supporting a driving motor 10 in a vertical positionaj 'lhe'motor 10 has connected thereto a vertical motor shaft 11, which projects on the I-beam 8Q downwardly, through a suitable bearing 12 Removably mounted on].

the lower end of the motor shaft .11 is'a propeller 1301* other suitable ineans which will after more fully described. v t p v The motor shaft ll projects downwardly through a draft unit comprising a cylindirected j upper section 16. The draft unit] is supwhich are secured to the above the upper edge of the housing 2 and has a.

The upper end of the draft unit pro-v cause an up draftjof liquid,- as hereid;

.portedby means of bracket arms 17 and 18' l 'theouter ends of inner facesofcertain of the casing walls, while,v the inner ends of the brackets are segment thereof cut 1 away to afford an outlet openingorvdischarge mouth 20, the loweredge of which is above the upper level of the water ed abovethe housing 2, upon suitable supports (not shown); is an inclined channel (1 material delivery chute 22, I

the lower end of which is positioned. to proje'ct into the upper conical section 16 of the draft unit to permit a material which is to be separated to be deposited directly into the upper end of the draft unit. Removably mounted on the inner surface-f the intermediate cylindrical section ll of the draft unit is a baffle plate or flange 23 provided for the purpose of retarding or breaking up the vortex of the column of water 2 1, which is caused to rise within the draft unit when the machine is in operation. 7 The operation is as follows: Before the machine is set into operation water is admitted into the housing 2 to fill both of the chambers 5 and 6 to a level which is slightly below the upper edge of the housing. lVhen the motor 10 is started the motor shaft v11 acts to rotate the propeller 13 thereby causing a column of water 24; to'rise with a swirling motion upwardly Within the draft unit to a level higher than the level of the water within the housing 2. The action of the propeller in elevating the water tends'to create a vortex at the upper end of the column of water. To retard the vortex thus formed the baffle 23 is provided within the draft unit thereby affording a means for maintaining the level of the upper surface of the column of water 24 substantially level. While a propeller is illustrated and described as affording. a means whereby the column of water 24: may be caused to rise within the draft unit, it will, of course, be understood that any other suit ablemeans may be provided to produce an upwarddraft of a liquid through the draft unit.

Furnace refuse or any other mixture of material which is to be separated is" fed to the machine by way of the inclined delivery chute 22, which directs the furnace refuse or material directly into the upper. conical section 16 of the draft unit and intothe upper end of the upwardly moving column of water 24. The draft unit acts as an up draft tube. whereinthe ascending column of swirling water created by the propeller 13 acts on the deposited material to cause the lighter material, such as coke, to float or rise to the upper surface of the column of water 24, while the heavier material such as ash, clinkers and the like is permitted to pass downwardlyby the action of gravity through the draft unit and be deposited within the housing chamber 6.

The rising column of water 2% Within the draft unit acts as a means for separating the-materials of different weights so that the light weight material, such as coke, is retained in the upper portion of the draft unit, and is permitted to'be flushed out of the upper section'16 through the discharge mouth or opening 20 and over the upper edge of the slightly inclined bar screen or grate 4 to be deposited into the coke receiving chambero of the housing 2, as clearly therefore is not wardly through the draft unit, but is held in suspension'within theupper portionof illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings. The bar screen 4 is provided for the purpose of permitting the water in the chamber 5,

to return to-the chamber 6. The screen 4 also prevents the separated coke from passing intothe. chamber 6. 7

It will thus be seen that the material which is to be separated is deposited directly into the upper end of the draft'unit on the lee side of the discharge mouth 20in order to allow time for the heavy particles to settle A below the level of the water outletbefore the rotating Water carries it around to said outlet. The deposited material'is thus carried into engagement with the rising column of water 2%, which is caused to use within the draft unit by the propeller 13 or other suitable means to a level which'is higher than the level of the water Within the housing 2.- The purpose the top flaresection 16 is to provide an increased liberating surface of water for the floats or light welght amount of water to create the necessary velocity in the draft tube. to retard the vortex of the column of water 24 thereby affording a substantially level surface at the upper end of the column 24. The llght weight 'material,

permitted to pass downthe draft unit, and is carried upwardly by the rising column of water so that the coke or light weight material is adapted to be carried off through the discharge opening 20 and delivered into the coke receiving chamber 5 from which it' may be removed The baffle 23 acts such as coke, 1

by drag buckets or other suitable means.- The clinkers, ash and other heavy material being acted upon by gravity are drawn downwardly through the draft unit and are deposited within the chamber 6 from which they may be removed by any suitablev means.

The purpose of providing the bottom flaring section 15 is to provide an enlarged inclosure for the propeller 13 to permit the same to deliver a quantity of water greater than that which actually passes up through the intermediate section 14: thereby allowing the surplus water to pass downwardly out of the lower flared section the heavy particles of the 'inaterial through the space afforded between the ends of the propeller and the inner surface of the section 15 away from the rising column of water.

particles between the tips ofthe propeller 15 carrying out Jamming of the descending heavy blades and the-interior wall of the draft unit casing is thus obviated by the use of the bottom flaring section. Vith the use of the bottom flare section there is an unusually large slip between the pitch travel of the propeller and the upward travel of water through the intermediate section, when the propeller is placed in the bottom ared section, thereby contributing to the successful elimination of the heavy particles of the material.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A material separator comprising a housing, a draft unit positioned therein and comprising a cylindrical intermediate section, an outwardly flaring lower conical section secured thereto, an upwardly directed conical upper section secured on said in- ,termediate section, said upper conical section having a discharge opening out therein, a baflie plate secured on the inner surface of said cylindrical intermediate section, a driving means, a shaft connected therewith and projecting through the upper conical section, the intermediate cylindrical section and into the lower conical section of said draft unit, and a propeller mounted on the lower end of said shaft within the lower draft unit section.

A material separating device, comprising a housing, a cylindrical sleeve mounted therein, means for supporting the same in position near the upper end of the housing, an outwardly flaring lower section secured to the lower end of said sleeve, an upwardly flaring upper section secured to the upper end of said sleeve, a battle plate secured on the inner face of said sleeve, a. propeller mounted to rotate in said lower flaring section and means for driving the propeller.

A material separating device, comprising a tubular member consisting of an intermediate sleeve, a lower flaring section and an upper flaring section having a discharge opening therein, a bafile member secured ,on the inner surface of said intermediate sleeve, a shaft projecting through the upper flaring section, the intermediate sleeve and into the lower flaring section, a propeller on said shaft within the lower flaring section, and means connected with said shaft to rotate the same.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

SYLVESTER s. HOWELL. 

